Bjørn Ralf Kristensen
@bjornkristensen.com
Environmental Philosopher | Animal and Environmental Ethics, Multispecies Studies, American Pragmatism | Sawyier Fellow, Center for the Study of Ethics in the Professions, Illinois Tech | PhD Candidate, Environmental Studies, University of Oregon
On November 8, @ethicsiit.bsky.social at @illinoistech.bsky.social held our Ethics of Technology conference. Great to connect with many amazing international scholars, and to present my research incorporating John Dewey’s work on agency and architecture into ethical questions regarding urban animals
November 13, 2025 at 3:52 PM
On November 8, @ethicsiit.bsky.social at @illinoistech.bsky.social held our Ethics of Technology conference. Great to connect with many amazing international scholars, and to present my research incorporating John Dewey’s work on agency and architecture into ethical questions regarding urban animals
I recently had the opportunity to present some of my research on street dogs and multispecies waste relations at Waste Matters: The Many Afterlives of Junk conference in Helsinki. An amazing interdisciplinary conference focused on social, political, ethical, and aesthetic considerations of waste!
June 14, 2025 at 11:28 AM
I recently had the opportunity to present some of my research on street dogs and multispecies waste relations at Waste Matters: The Many Afterlives of Junk conference in Helsinki. An amazing interdisciplinary conference focused on social, political, ethical, and aesthetic considerations of waste!
What I really care about is obvious, because the first thing I noticed when I saw this breaking news was the seagulls. Currently the most visible birds on the planet.
May 8, 2025 at 5:05 PM
What I really care about is obvious, because the first thing I noticed when I saw this breaking news was the seagulls. Currently the most visible birds on the planet.
There is an implicit feeling of trust I sensed while in close proximity to them that also feels a bit undeserved and heartbreaking given the role anthropogenic factors have had in the decline of their species over the last century.
April 28, 2025 at 1:00 AM
There is an implicit feeling of trust I sensed while in close proximity to them that also feels a bit undeserved and heartbreaking given the role anthropogenic factors have had in the decline of their species over the last century.
African penguins have absolutely no fear of humans given that they have not evolved around land-based animals that would harm them.
April 28, 2025 at 1:00 AM
African penguins have absolutely no fear of humans given that they have not evolved around land-based animals that would harm them.
Boulders Beach is a protected site where artificial nests have been constructed to supplement a lack of natural nesting sites, to facilitate breeding, and to keep them safe from predators and weather. It is a magical experience being surrounded by these highly intelligent and socially complex birds.
April 28, 2025 at 1:00 AM
Boulders Beach is a protected site where artificial nests have been constructed to supplement a lack of natural nesting sites, to facilitate breeding, and to keep them safe from predators and weather. It is a magical experience being surrounded by these highly intelligent and socially complex birds.
Many of them are starving to death because of drastically reduced fish stocks resulting from industrial fishing and climate change. Other factors contributing to their decline are coastal development, oil spills, and diseases such as bird flu.
April 28, 2025 at 1:00 AM
Many of them are starving to death because of drastically reduced fish stocks resulting from industrial fishing and climate change. Other factors contributing to their decline are coastal development, oil spills, and diseases such as bird flu.
Sadly, the African penguin has recently been reclassified as critically endangered. Populations have declined by 97% over the last 100 years, and there are currently fewer than 10,000 breeding pairs remaining. They are one of the most threatened seabirds in the world.
April 28, 2025 at 1:00 AM
Sadly, the African penguin has recently been reclassified as critically endangered. Populations have declined by 97% over the last 100 years, and there are currently fewer than 10,000 breeding pairs remaining. They are one of the most threatened seabirds in the world.
A belated post in honor of World Penguin Day on Friday. Here are a few photos from September of 2022 when I had the honor of visiting the African penguin colony at Boulders Beach in Cape Town, South Africa.
April 28, 2025 at 1:00 AM
A belated post in honor of World Penguin Day on Friday. Here are a few photos from September of 2022 when I had the honor of visiting the African penguin colony at Boulders Beach in Cape Town, South Africa.
A red-tailed hawk on campus today at the University of Oregon
April 26, 2025 at 12:15 AM
A red-tailed hawk on campus today at the University of Oregon
One of the highlights of my recent trip to San Francisco was meeting Major, who is perhaps the most famous dog in the city. His human, Omar, owns Key Food Market in Lower Haight, where Major “works” behind the counter and is a central part of the local community.
April 21, 2025 at 5:18 PM
One of the highlights of my recent trip to San Francisco was meeting Major, who is perhaps the most famous dog in the city. His human, Omar, owns Key Food Market in Lower Haight, where Major “works” behind the counter and is a central part of the local community.
Excited to be in San Francisco for the American Philosophical Association Pacific division meeting! I’m part of a session this evening on new directions in American philosophy where I’m presenting some research on John Dewey and animal agency.
#APAPacific25
#APAPacific25
April 17, 2025 at 12:09 AM
Excited to be in San Francisco for the American Philosophical Association Pacific division meeting! I’m part of a session this evening on new directions in American philosophy where I’m presenting some research on John Dewey and animal agency.
#APAPacific25
#APAPacific25
Happy to see the latest issue of The Pluralist in print, which includes my paper on Dewey, Singer, and Effective Altruism!
March 22, 2025 at 10:29 AM
Happy to see the latest issue of The Pluralist in print, which includes my paper on Dewey, Singer, and Effective Altruism!
So cool to be in Helsinki when President Zelenskyy of Ukraine happened to come to town! 🇺🇦
March 19, 2025 at 6:57 PM
So cool to be in Helsinki when President Zelenskyy of Ukraine happened to come to town! 🇺🇦
I'm happy to share that my paper, "Consequentialism in the Work of John Dewey and Peter Singer: Considering the Case of Effective Altruism" has been published in The Pluralist.
muse.jhu.edu/pub/34/artic...
muse.jhu.edu/pub/34/artic...
February 25, 2025 at 3:34 AM
I'm happy to share that my paper, "Consequentialism in the Work of John Dewey and Peter Singer: Considering the Case of Effective Altruism" has been published in The Pluralist.
muse.jhu.edu/pub/34/artic...
muse.jhu.edu/pub/34/artic...
An hour of Brunito’s day in 30 seconds.
It’s a common misconception that street dogs tend to have very active and stressful lives. This depends on context. Yet, in my time researching street dogs in Peru I have found them to often be some of the most relaxed and content beings I have ever met.
It’s a common misconception that street dogs tend to have very active and stressful lives. This depends on context. Yet, in my time researching street dogs in Peru I have found them to often be some of the most relaxed and content beings I have ever met.
February 18, 2025 at 6:15 PM
An hour of Brunito’s day in 30 seconds.
It’s a common misconception that street dogs tend to have very active and stressful lives. This depends on context. Yet, in my time researching street dogs in Peru I have found them to often be some of the most relaxed and content beings I have ever met.
It’s a common misconception that street dogs tend to have very active and stressful lives. This depends on context. Yet, in my time researching street dogs in Peru I have found them to often be some of the most relaxed and content beings I have ever met.
This term at the University of Oregon, I'm thrilled to be teaching an interdisciplinary course focused on multispecies urban entanglements (Multispecies Cities), which draws on the humanities, social sciences, and natural sciences, with close attention to non-Western and Global South perspectives.
January 28, 2025 at 8:13 PM
This term at the University of Oregon, I'm thrilled to be teaching an interdisciplinary course focused on multispecies urban entanglements (Multispecies Cities), which draws on the humanities, social sciences, and natural sciences, with close attention to non-Western and Global South perspectives.